The Rise of the Corinthos: Fredo Corleone
by Gillen1962
Summary: Carly and Sonny have a talk. Rovena has a surprise for Alan. Ethan flirt at the hospital. Elizabeth keeps having Steve problems. Joss makes a choice and so does Kristina


_The Rise of the Corinthos: Fredo Corleone_

Carly Benson was making a mistake. She was very sure that coming to Graymor to talk to Sonny was a mistake. The last time she had seen her husband he had accused her of bringing out the worst in him. Encouraging him to be a monster.

He was right.

The harshness of Sonny's words coupled with his mental breakdown Had sent Carly into a mental crisis of her own. For a brief moment she had thought about becoming a Madame and turning her house into a Brothel. Now in a better state of mind she had no idea what she was even thinking over those first few days.

What she was doing now though was clear, and it was clearly something that Sonny would not approve of. She was still gathering street girls, girls who were slipping into the world of prostitution or already there and turning them into Models for the Benson Agency. Using everything she could think of to make them believe it themselves.

Something she had never done. All her life, it was all bravado. All an act. She projected strong and determined. She projected a woman who would do whatever was necessary to get what she wanted, to protect what she had, to help those she loved. But underneath it all she was still poor little Carly Benson from the trailer park.

She knew now why good men like Jax would never work for her. Deep down she did not think she deserved him. She deserved Sonny, Franco, Johnny, Alcazar, men who were or had been monsters. Men who were like her.

Afraid.

She knew that now. Jax was not afraid of anything. He was confident and self-assured, and it had nothing to do with his wealth. Jax had been born poor in the Australian Outback, he had lost his wealth on more then one occasion. But he had never been afraid.

Alcazar, Franco, at least before Elizabeth, Johnny and especially Sonny were men who deep inside themselves were afraid. They used guns, and threats and intimidation to mask their fear. But if you stopped and sniffed you could smell it on them like the lingering scent of a skunk on an early morning walk.

Carly was not mad at Sonny for his fear. She knew his childhood, knew that he came to it because of pain and suffering. Unlike many in the community she did not blame him for what he did to Karen Wexler all those years ago. But she was realizing, slowly, far too slowly that as long as she was with him, neither one of them could grow past their fear.

It was odd not to see Max or Milo at the door. But they were gone Milo, was dead, killed by the Albanian. Max had left Port Charles. Carly was not sure where he had gone.

She was used to seeing one of them there by the front. Protecting Sonny, Protecting her. Them or Jason.

Jason.

Jason confused Carly. For years she had stated that he was simply her best friend. And she would not deny that even now. But there was more.

Jason was more like Jax then he was like Sonny. Jason was not ruled by fear. But unlike Jax he was not ruled by an innate goodness either. Instead he was governed by the conflicts of those around him. Jason's entire life, at least since the accident had been one of reaction.

He had reacted to the smothering love and continual bickering of the Quartermaine's by running away from them. He had reacted to the Love of Robin and Courtney by loving them in return. He had reacted to her sexual advances when they first met by responding. Later as that part of their relationship had ended, he had reacted to her need for validation as a friend, or wife or mother by assuring her she was what she thought she was, even when she was not.

He had reacted to Sonny's friendship and loyalty with unwavering loyalty in return. Jason reacted to the love and respect of Michael and Joss, and Kristina and even poor Morgan by being the rock they could trust in a world that was ever shifting because of Sonny's business.

And Sam. He had been charged by Sonny with protecting Sam while she was pregnant with Sonny's child. Carly had over the years tried to understand what had then become love between the two. But she hadn't. When Sam had fallen for the "Jason" who was really Drew Cain with Jason's memories it had made more sense, that Jason was far more outgoing, far more emotional.

Then Jason had come back.

Carly was no

longer sure that Sam and Jason were any better for each other than She and Sonny.

She entered the living room and saw him. Sonny sitting in his recliner. In a bathrobe and pajamas. Large over sized slippers on his feet.

"Sonny" She said.

He looked up from the book he was reading. "Carly!" He got up and rushed over and hugged her. "It is so good to see you."

One of the things that made Jason such an effective killer for Sonny was his inability, due to his damaged frontal lobes of feeling Guilt. The day after he had committed adultery with Elizabeth, then Lucky's wife, he shook the man's hand. That Lucky was cheating with Maxie at the time was irrelevant. Lucky felt guilt, Maxie felt guilt, Elizabeth felt guilt. Jason did not. His inability to feel the emotion allowed him to commit such horrible crimes as the assassination of Lorenzo Alcazar while his wife, Jason's own sister Skye, sat with their child in another room.

So, as he dressed for work that morning and looked at the sleeping girl in his bed. He did not feel guilt for cheating on Sam. He did however feel a much stronger attraction to the girl then he had expected. For Jason without the ability to feel guilt, what had kept him from being a serial cheater was his discomfort with conflicting emotions. Jason was an all or nothing kind of person and so monogamy suited him as it was the simplest form of human relationships.

He had, he realized deeply enjoyed his time as Alan Lee Holt. New York City, with its population of eight million, and large amount of A list celebrities had given him an anonymity that he had not had in years in Port Charles.

Even at home, he had not been Sonny. While he would attend community and family events, he never sought to be the center of attention. Sam made sure he donated generously to charity, especially General Hospital, but there was no wing bearing his name, and there never would be. Police and Law enforcement would know his name and reputation, even here in New York, but New York had its own Mob Bosses, Crime Lords and Mafioso. Even Shehu who had chased Sonny and he out of power was dwarfed by the legendary reputations of men like John Gotti or Mickey Featherstone. Sonny's name and face may be known in Bensonhurst. But Jason spoke to members of the NYPD nightly in his job as Security at Johnny's Bronx Café and none of them had so much as asked for an ID. New York cops simply had bigger and more pressing fish to fry then running facial recognition on yet another of a long string of bouncers at this week's Club Du Jour.

Jason thought of Danny and Jake. He did not quite miss them, but he did think of them. Sam had told him that Lucky was home, so Jake no longer needed him. He loved the boy, as much as he could love someone, but Lucky was his legal father, Jason had signed his parental rights away, with far more ease and far less guilt then his brother had signed away Michael. No one had hung Jason from a meat hook, all that Elizabeth had done was ask him to choose between killing people for Sonny and the boy. Jason had chosen Sonny. Lucky who had risked his life to bring Jake back from the clutches of Helena Cassadine, Jason's twin brother Drew and even the insane Franco had been far better Fathers to the boy then Jason had been. If he remained in New York. If he choose a life as Alan Lee Holt, he would hardly be missed by the boy.

Danny was a different story, though Jason had missed most of the first five years of the boy's life. The boy would need a father figure. Though Drew had filled those shoes just fine during Jason's absence and Drew was the Father of Danny's sister Scout.

Sam., He loved Sam. Or at least he thought he did. Did he love her or was he expected to love her?

"Good Morning" Rovena said in a sleepy voice.

Jason went over and sat on the edge of the bed. The girl kissed him. He kissed her back. Jason was many things, but a liar he was not. If he was going to even, consider being Alan Lee Holt then he owed this girl the truth of how Alan Lee Holt came into existence and who he really was.

"We should talk." He said to her softly

She smiled. "Good, tell me all about Port Charles, Jason."

"What?"

Elizabeth Baldwin reviewed the nursing assignments for the week, while at the nurse's station on the fourth floor of General Hospital.

"Elizabeth can I talk to you for a minute?" Her Friend Felix DuBois said to her softly.

His tone perked up her ears. Felix was the friendliest of men to people he did not know let alone to an old friend like Elizabeth.

"Sure, what's up?"

"If it was anybody else, I would have cut them dead, but you know I love you, and the dude is your brother so I'm coming to you first." Felix said all in one breath.

Elizabeth sighed. "What did Steven do now?" She asked. Dreading the answer before it came.

"I was running some labs down to the ER and I overheard him talking to an EMT and he used the "F" word."

Elizabeth shrugged her shoulders. "He should watch his language for sure, but Felix, we all drop an f-bomb on occasion, heck I had to punish Jake for it the other day."

Felix shook his head sadly. "I could care less about that F word Liz; he used the other F word. You know like a British Cigarette."

"Oh damn" Elizabeth said feeling her head begin to ache.

Ethan Lovett had never figured out why so many people in Port Charles chose to simply hang out at General Hospital. Personally, he hated hospitals, and other than his one-time sister-in-law Elizabeth was not all that fond of the medical profession. So, he was not feeling pleased with himself for wandering the halls of GH. He had asked at the main desk on what floor the man he was looking for was working. But the "Seventh Floor" of a nine-story square block hospital was far bigger than he remembered it.

He knew he was in pediatrics, the amount of kids kind of gave that away but other wise he was just lost. He was peering into each room and was beginning to feel a little creepy when some one said. "Can I help you?"

He turned and saw a tall skinny dark-haired woman. He reverted to his default: Charming flirt. And said. "I am sure you can, Doctor?"

"Randolph."

Ethan smiled. "I'm Ethan Lovett." He put out his hand and Terry shook it. She looked at him. "Wait I know you; I've seen your picture. You are the guy who is opening the Blues Club on the haunted Star."

"Yes." Ethan said he reached into his pocket and handed her a card. "I hope you will be at our opening tomorrow, that is good for a free drink."

Terry smiled. "I'll be there. My friend Elizabeth and her husband Franco are insisting. Big week here in Port Charles. The Veterans Center and Gallery tonight and your club tomorrow."

"Elizabeth Webber?"

"Well Baldwin."

Ethan smiled. "We are old friends. More like family, her boys are my nephews."

"Ahh Lucky's brother."

"Yes, the charming one, not the dark and dangerous one."

Terry laughed. "So, what brings you here, other than randomly wandering the halls handing out cards for free drinks?"

"I'm looking for an orderly I was told was working on this floor."

"Who?"

"Toussaint DuBois."

Terry smiled. "Ah, come follow me."

Carly kept waiting for the other shoe to drop as she sat on the couch next to Sonny. They had been talking for more than a half an hour about his health and their marriage.

"So, I agree, it is simply not wise for you to come home right now Carly. I love you but I cannot put my family in danger and until we are sure it is safe; you and the kids are better off away from me." Sonny said smiling.

"Well I am glad you are being so understanding." She said with a smile.

Sonny nodded wisely. "I have to be, there is a lot I need to make up with you and the kids. I called Michael, I told him that we were good as far as I was concerned. And that I understood him using Quartermaine again. "

"What did he say?" Carly said suspiciously

"He is going to try to make it over here late today before the opening of this new Veterans Center. He said it may be hard though because apparently some long lost Quartermaine has come back from the dead, I told him that tomorrow or the next day would be fine."

Carly looked around for the hidden camera or waited for the Sonny to snap and break her neck. Instead he just sat smiling.

"Okay, Good. And Kristina is living here now?"

"Yes, she feels that I need the help."

"How does Alexis feel about that?"

"I have not spoken to her directly, but I was thinking she is not all that happy. I hope to prove her wrong."

Sonny sighed. "I need to complete the sexual offender classes before I can see Avery."

"Are you going to do that?" Carly asked disbelieving.

"I start on Monday. I will do whatever it takes to be able to see my little girl. Speaking of which, do you think that Jax would let Joss come by? "

"I'm not sure Sonny."

"I would expect both you and Jax to be with her. I just want her to know I love her and that I am trying to get better."

"Both? Jax and I?" Carly said. "You don't mind Jax coming?"

"No, I owe him an apology along with a lot of other people."

Carly remembered watching Star Trek in the trailer park and she wondered if she had wandered into the Mirror Universe. "Okay I will ask him."

Sonny grinned.

"Have you heard from Jason?" She asked.

Sonny shook his head. "No. It may not be wise for me to seek him out right now."

"Okay."

"Is Dev still at your place?" Sonny asked.

"Yes."

'Have him stop by I want to see how he is doing as well. I miss you all so much. I know I have a lot to make up for, but one day at a time as they say."

Carly was sure that she was in the twilight zone.

Kristina had texted Nisida to meet her at Charlie's. Now while she waited tables, she was growing increasingly impatient as the high that she had been on for the past day began to crash.

"Excuse me." A Man said to her. "Are you Kristina?"

She turned and answered suspiciously. "Yes, and you are?"

"Donal Hasanpapa, I am a client and a friend of your mother."

Kristina smiled. "Nice to meet you. Can I get you anything? Take any table you like or a seat at the bar."

Donal nodded. "Thank you I was hoping to get a burger and fries and maybe a cold beer for this crisp fall day."

Kristina smiled. She liked his accent. "Coming right up."

She went over to the bar and gave Julian the order. From the look on his face he did not like Donal.

He took the order and walked to the back.

Julian had had enough he dialed a number. It went to voice mail. Julián left a message. "Look you and I had a deal, that did not include your henchmen hanging out in my joint and picking up my ex-wife."

He put together the burger rubbing the bun on his shirt before he topped it off.

Jason marched around the room in disbelief.

"So, you have known for a while?" He said.

The girl holding the blanket against her nodded clearly tired of repeating herself. "The day that kid mentioned Jason Morgan, I googled it. Don't you google things? How backwards is upstate New York? Any way they had this weird story of you and your clone."

"He is not my clone he is my long-lost twin brother."

Rovena nodded. "Okay because that makes so much more sense. Anyway Jason, relax, I read it, I understood it and I chose to wait for you to tell me."

"Why?"

"Why? Because your past is your business. Like mine is mine."

"Did you wonder why I was here?"

"You were either looking to start a new life or looking for Marijian Shehu. If it's the former than I think I want to be part of it. If it's the later than you are a dead man any way and I may as well enjoy what time I have with you."

"So, you are not going to try to talk me out of looking for him?"

"Of course, I am. Is it going to work? Unlikely. I wish it would. I have listened to you over the past couple of weeks, Alan…well Jason…You keep saying that you are happy, and I don't think you are lying."

"I'm not."

"So, if you are happy then why screw that up?"

"I need to help Sonny."

"Corinthos, the guy you work for?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Why?"

Rovena shook her head. "Yeah why do you need to help him? Do you owe him a blood debt?"

Jason sat on the edge of the bed. "Do I owe him what?"

Rovena Krasniqi smiled. This poor simple man she thought. Rovena was far more complex then she let on. She had been born in Pristina in 1992 and had been six when the Serbian Government began its ethnic cleansing of Kosovo. She had watched as her father joined the Kosovo Liberation army and had lived through the reprisal of that event, when she and her Mother were taken by the Serb army to Pec. Pec was the most notorious of the Serbian Rape camps. In the first two months she had lost track of the number of times her mother had been attacked by Serbian Soldiers who used Rape as a tool for Genocide. When her mother's body gave out, she lost track of how many times the Serbian soldiers used her.

Rovena saw the look on her Father's face when they were finally reunited by the American soldiers from NATO who found her and tracked him down.

She saw the hardness in his face that had not been there before. She saw it in the women around her. She also chose not to be that way. Rovena was acutely aware of the circumstances that created men like Marijian Shehu, and she hated them for losing their souls in the process of liberating their people.

She knew that such men as Shehu had become the monsters that they had fought against. She knew men like her father had lost their joy, it was only in the past few years that her father had found his again. And now in this simple man she saw the same thing. Jason or Alan or whatever he called himself was a man without joy. A man without happiness. This Sonny whatever he was had drained the joy from him.

She wondered if he had ever been joyful. She sensed he had been.

She smiled. "Albanians live by a Code that allows for a blood debt between men. Do you owe this Sonny such a det?" She said.

"No, it is not like that. He is my friend."

"And as your friend he does not wish you to be happy?"

Happy, Jason thought, what is this girl talking about. Happy. His brain hurt. Happy was not an emotion that Jason was used to dealing in. Did Sam make him happy? No, he enjoyed their time together, appreciated their sex life and found some comfort in having her around. But the sheer dancing around the room happiness that he had seen in this girl he had not known.

She had taken him to a wedding a week ago. One of the Albanian girls from the neighborhood. Jason had been tense, he was always tense at these things. It had been more than a decade since he attended a party in Port Charles that had not ended with a body or a shootout or a confrontation or a kidnapping or a black out or a an earthquake or a fire or some other horrible event, often caused by Sonny and often left to him to clear up,

But this party. This had been different than anything Jason had ever seen. People danced with abandon. Forming a long line of dancing holding each other's shoulders. Rovena's father had dragged him up to dance with he and his brothers and nephews. Jason had laughed.

Not laughed at a joke or smiled at something Danny or Jake had done but laughed. Like he wasn't Stone like he wasn't cold.

Sonny and Carly always said they wanted Jason to be happy. But he just wasn't sure.

"I think so" He said sadly.

"Look. This was nice really nice, and I would do it again in a heartbeat. You want to be friends with benefits I can do that. You want to be something more, then you can't run off and get yourself killed chasing after Marijian Shehu."

She got up and started putting on her clothes. "It's up to you. But can I tell you something?"

Jason nodded.

"Whatever your old life was like. Life is far too short to be so damn dark." Rovena said.

She zipped up her jeans and walked out of the room singing the old Lynn Anderson song

"Love shouldn't be this melancholy come along and share the good times while you can…."

Jason heard her voice long after it was gone.

Terry led Ethan down the hall to a large physical therapy room. It was filled with children and sitting in the middle of the room leading a sing a long of "This Land is your Land" was Toussaint DuBois.

"He is almost always in here at lunch time." Terry said.

Ethan smiled and leaned against the door listening.

Toussaint and the children finished the song and before he could start another one. Terry called out. "Mr. Dubois, this young man was looking for you."

The tall elderly African American stood up and walked over he gave Ethan a hearty handshake and said. "What can I do for you young man."

Ethan smiled. "You can tell me that if I have Stack Waddy at my club tomorrow night, you will come in and sit in for the nine o'clock set."

Toussaint's eyes lit up.

Three flights down Elizabeth Baldwin sat with Felix Dubois in the office of Monica Quartermaine the Hospital Chief of staff.

Most hospitals had both a chief of staff, who over saw the medical personal, with the head resident and director of nursing reporting to them, and a Hospital Administrator who over saw the entire hospital from janitorial staff to construction.

GH had operated without a Hospital Administrator for too long, having combined the two positions since the death of Dan Rooney more than a decade ago, but now with the prospect of a New chief of staff, and stepping up to the role of Hospital Administrator, Monica was looking forward to an easing of the her work burden. She was also considering a hunt for a head resident, but that had to wait until there was a new director of oncology and cardiology.

Today however and for now, she was both Chief of Starr and Hospital Administrator. And it was in that second role that she had listened to Felix and Elizabeth, talk to her about Steven.

She shook her head. A few weeks ago, if someone had pressed her, she would have said that she favored Steven for the job of Chief of Staff. He had filled the role before, if temporarily. And he was more familiar with the modern GH, then Tom who had been away for decades. More and more however there were she realized problems.

"That is a serious accusation Felix." She said.

"I know it is Dr. Quartermaine."

Monica nodded and looked at Elizabeth. "I appreciate that you followed protocol and came directly to me rather than trying to intervene because Steve is your brother."

"I won't lie Dr. Quartermaine, I considered speaking to Steve myself. But that would not have been right. I have asked Felix to file a formal complaint against both Steven and the EMT he was talking with."

Monica nodded. "Okay. Felix. Go down to Human Resources. I will call ahead and have them prepare the paperwork for you."

Felix nodded. "Thank you. I want you to know that personally I have never had a problem with Doctor Webber and that the comment was not directed at me."

"But it was still made Felix and it still must be dealt with." Monica said.

Felix left.

Monica sighed and turned to Elizabeth. "What the hell is wrong with Steve since he came back?"

Donal Hasanpapa watched with interests as Nisida came in and walked over to Kristina. Kristina reached in her apron and slipped the Albanian girl a roll of bills. Nisida smiled and got up from the table leaving a small brown paper bag there "accidentally".

Kristina grabbed the bag before the other girl was even out the door. Donal did not need to follow the girl to know what she was doing as she raced to the back of the bar.

Kristina downed four of the pills as quickly as she could. Then leaned against the wall and waited for the noise in her head to stop.

Josslyn Jacks sat in her room at her father's hotel suite. Jax was at the hospital where her Uncle Jerry was still in critical condition. Joss was tired between school and the modeling job she was exhausted. Cam had asked her if she wanted to hang out, but she was just so tired.

She looked at the pills sitting on her desk and she thought of Oscar. She missed him so much it hurt. Years from now, when she was grown and she loved again, she would know that this was a teen romance, doomed from its start by factors far more complex then his death. But she would even then look back and be sad over the boy she loved and all he could have been.

But Oscar's death was not about her grief. He was not Lady Jane, whose death so rocked her father, whose life was so large and encompassing that her mother had cried to a God she did not believe in, Oscar death was not about those he left behind. It was about the tragedy of one dying so young.

Oscar's death was not about her, maybe it was about Kim and Drew, his parents, but it was not about her. Her job was not to mourn for Oscar, but to live the life he would want her to have.

She heard the front door of the suite open and her father come in.

She picked up the pills and walked out to greet him. "Dad, I have something I need to talk to you about."

Donal Hasanpapa sat on a bench looking out over the Port Charles Docks. He was pleased with the progress he was making here in Port Charles.

His phone rang. He recognized the number

"Sir?"

"I am beyond Disappointed in your foolishness." Shehu said, in Albanian

"I …I don't understand Sir." Donal answered in the same language

"Do not compound your stupidity by telling an untruth."

Donal took a deep breath, he knew what Shehu was calling for though he had no idea who betrayed him

"I am sorry Sir; I was not thinking. I will break it off immediately."

"Yes. You will. And then after a few days you will arrange for Ms. Davis to cease to exist."

"Sir? She knows nothing."

Donal could all but see Shehu wave his hand in disgust "I do not care what she knows, I am making the large assumption that you were not stupid enough to speak with her."

"No. No."

"Smart. You will take her life as a lesson to you. I want no ties to these people. They are not our people. She is not Albanian is SHE!?" Shehu demanded.

"No Sir."

"She is nothing more than some cast off Greek." Shehu snapped. "And you risked our operation on her."

"I am sorry Sir."

"Yes, you are. Now break it off, wait a reasonable amount of time till you will not be suspected then kill her, am I clear?"

"Yes."

"Corinthos has been released from the asylum correct?"

Donal was glad to have the conversation change "Yes."

"And?"

"The Ottoman is going over there this afternoon. What we have seen so far, he is an insane stumble bum, in his bathrobe and slippers, one step above drooling in a cup."

Shehu mused for a moment then said. "I will expect a direct report from the boy tomorrow. I still would feel more comfortable with him dead, but his profile is so high, I am hesitant."

Donal stopped himself from mentioning that Alexis profile was high as well. Instead he said. "His daughter with Davis is now a client."

"Is she?" Shehu said. "Nisida?"

"Yes."

Shehu laughed. "I knew I like that girl. Very well, let us let Sonny live and see how this develops."

"Sir may I ask if Morgan is still in the Bronx."

"He is" Shehu said. "I do believe that the poor brain damaged fool wishes to become an Albanian."

Sonny Corinthos was in his recliner speaking with Lilly. Who was sitting on the large stone coffee table in front of the chair?

"Sonny" She said. "I do not think what you are doing will lead to your penance."

"It will"

Lilly shook her head. "Sonny, I feel Deke and Karen and the others tugging on me. They are telling me to let them back. That I cannot help you. Deke is very loud."

The woman who was not there held her head in her hands covering her ears as if to lock out the nose.

Sonny got up and sat next to Lilly he put his arm around her "It is okay. I promise you it will be okay. You just need to trust me while I set this right."

Sonny saw Deke walk across the room. He said nothing but poured himself a glass of Sonny's best Whiskey, downed it, poured another and smiled before he faded away drink still in hand.

The doorbell rang. Sonny sat holding Lilly.

It rang again. Sonny wondered for a moment why Max or Milo did not answer it. Then he realized max and Milo were gone.

He got up. "I will be right back"

Lilly smiled. "I will be here; I am always here."

Sonny went to the front room and opened the door. Dev, in his Port Charles Police Trainee Uniform gave him a wide smile.

"Hello Sonny, how are you doing. "

Sonny flashed his dimpled grin. "Come on in. So. The Police Department. Dev that is very good.""

The boy stepped in and the door closed behind him.

As soon as he was in the house Sonny grabbed him and Kissed him on both cheeks. Then he held the boys face in his hands. "I know it was you Dev. I know what you did. You broke my heart."


End file.
